The discovery of 421 kg of elephant skin, seized in Southwest China and multiple sightings of elephant skin in Myanmar, confirms this devastating trade.

Elephants are killed, stripped of their skin which is then cut into pieces. The skin is sold on the black market, promoted as a medicinal cure or turned into beads for jewellery. Asian elephants are up against it; they are endangered; battling a massive loss of habitat, ripped from the wild for the tourist trade and now their very skin is in demand.

THERE IS STILL TIME
TO STOP THIS PROBLEM

This might be the first time you are hearing of the problem, which is what needs to change.While we continue to tackle the live trade in baby elephants, the increase in trade for elephant skin continues to add to the myriad threats facing these animals, with the potential to create enormous ripple effects on an already endangered wild Asian elephant population of less than 50,000.

On 24th of September, we have the chance to let international decision-makers know what is going on in their countries and make the case for protection. Our platform will be the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – a major conference that aims to ensure that international trade does not threaten species’ survival.